In the period following his
cremation, many of the monks in Ãcariya Mun’s
lineage remained distraught as they continued to
feel the loss of their one reliable refuge in life.
Like kites with their strings broken, drifting at
the mercy of the winds, they wandered off in all
directions. Their spirits depressed, they felt like
small, helpless orphans who had lost both parents.
Consequently, the circle of practicing monks in
Ãcariya Mun’s lineage found itself quite unsettled
in the immediate aftermath of his funeral. By the
time they eventually began to regroup, they had all
realized the harmful effects of being without a good
teacher. The passing away of an outstanding ãcariya
is never a small matter. Invariably it affects the
community of practicing monks in a very serious way
– shaking them like an earthquake to their very
foundations. If his disciples have already
established themselves firmly in the practice,
possessing the mental fortitude to hold their own
while helping to sustain their fellow monks, then
the long-term effects will not be so adverse.
Whether it’s a family leader, a social leader, a
business leader, a government leader, or a leader in
any branch of the community of monks – the death of
a good leader is always felt as a huge loss. Since
it is ultimately unavoidable, those subordinates who
depend on their leadership should earnestly prepare
themselves for such an eventuality so that they may
prosper now and in the future.

When Ãcariya Mun passed away, I saw
the incredibly harmful effects that such a loss can
have. He was only a single individual, but vast
numbers of monks and lay devotees were so grieved by
his death that they appeared to be left in a state
of ruin – like a building whose foundation has been
damaged so that its entire structure suffers
accordingly. I was shocked by this development, and
worried for the future of the circle of practicing
monks who could easily suffer damage without the
protection of a strong teacher. If we do not make
the effort to intensify our practice and get results
while our teacher is still alive, upon his death we
will be like the living dead, lacking firm
principles of our own to hold on to.

I myself was caught woefully
unprepared at that time. It was a terrible
experience. I felt as if the winds of a cyclone were
raging through my heart, blowing me in all
directions. One storm blew in to assail me with the
thought that I had been left stranded without a
refuge; another blew in to fill me with doubts and
left me wondering about whom I could possibly rely
on now. Then a gale blew through, driving the
thought that, having passed away sublimely without
any concerns, he had left me behind feeling empty
and lifeless to drift along hopelessly without a
mainstay to which I could cling. Yet another wind
buffeted me with the thought that everything would
come to an end now that he was gone: Who would I
stay with now that my father had died? Did this
really signal my downfall? No sooner had I begun to
stand on my own than my father left me. What a
terrible misfortune! Another howling wind inveighed
against the miserable bad luck of this poor orphan:
I am finished for sure this time, and at such a
crucial juncture in my own development as well. The
kilesas and Dhamma are engaged in a full-scale war,
and Ãcariya Mun had been my advisor, helping me to
work out a battle plan. Who will have this kind of
compassion for me in the future? I had never reached
such an agonizing impasse before. I felt as though I
had fallen into an infernal pit of mortal despair.
All hope seemed lost as I lived on without him.

Such was my troubled state of mind
when Ãcariya Mun passed away. That experience
chastened me. Ever since then I’ve been loath to see
other practicing monks encounter a similar agonizing
experience simply because they lack the firm
principles needed to stand on their own. Fearing
that they will miss their rightful destiny by
default, I constantly warn them of the dangers.
Should they wait until the sun has already set
before rushing to find a safe refuge, I’m concerned
they may end up feeling as empty and lifeless as I
did. Not wishing to see this happen, I caution them
to hurry and intensify their efforts while the moon
is still bright, their hearts still willing, and
their bodies still able. Thus committed, those
desiring to attain the wealth of virtue inherent
within magga, phala, and Nibbãna can still manage to
do so. They need not live poverty-stricken amid a
world of spiritual riches.